Obituary

William (Bill) Byron Hutter, of Cass Lake, Minnesota, died on March 10 in Arizona after a courageous battle with COVID-19. He was 80 years old.

Bill was born on August 6, 1940, in Duluth, Minnesota, to the late Clarence and Emelyn Hutter. The family later moved to Fargo, North Dakota, where Bill graduated from Shanley High School in 1958. He served in the United States Army from 1962 to 1965. After finishing his service in Germany, Bill returned to Fargo and began a lifelong career in sales.

On February 14, 1974, Bill was united in marriage to Mary Saugstad. They made their home in Fargo until moving permanently to their lake home in Park Rapids, Minnesota, in 2008. They also began spending winters at their Mesa, Arizona, home in 2005.

Everyone described Bill as the life of the party. He was a legendary storyteller. He took pride in getting to know others and making them feel important. He was happiest when surrounded by friends and family, sharing stories, laughing, and making new memories. He often commented that in order to have friends, one must first be a friend, and that he was! No matter where he was, he could strike up a conversation with anyone and quickly make a connection.

His charismatic personality made Bill an excellent salesman. He tirelessly traveled the roads of North Dakota and Minnesota for 40 years, meeting with dealers and making lifelong friends. In both business and personal life, Bill was sincere, true to his word, and loved to make people laugh.

Bill loved living in the lake country of Minnesota. He spent many happy years on the water with his wife, Mary. They also traveled extensively, visiting every U.S. state and Canadian province, along with much of Europe. He also loved fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, and golfing. But more than anything, he just loved being with people. And if there happened to be an ice-cold Coors Light to accompany the conversation, even better.

Bill is survived by his children, Connie Morris (Brian) of Duluth, MN; Cyndi (Glen) Froehlich of Polson, MT; Angelyn (Aaron) Elliott of Plymouth, MN; Brett Hutter of Plymouth, MN; Shannon (Mike) Dahlberg of Moorhead; and Kathryn (John) Froehlich of Litchfield Park, AZ; his grandchildren Anthony, Ciara, Amanda, Cody, Sean, Abby, Andrew, Lauren, and Olivia; his brother, Harry Hutter of Fargo, ND; and many special friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary; his parents; and his great-grandson, Jace.

A celebration of life will take place on Monday, June 21, at Charlie’s Up North in Walker, Minnesota, at 2pm. Whether permitting, the service will be held outdoors.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Wounded Warrior Project in Bill’s memory.